Encapsulated lamp construction



ENCAPSULATED LAMP CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. l, 1962 2;, M? [II 5. J. FRIEDLAND 3,194,953-

United States Patent 3,194,953 ENCAPSULATED LAMP CGNTRUCTIN Samuel 5. Friedland, Bayside, N.Y., assignor to Coilectron Qorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 227,184 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-816) This invention relates generally to the field of selfcontained instrument panel lighting of a type widely used in military vehicles, wherein the instruments are embedded in a laminated instrument panel, the central lamina of which is capable of transmitting light. In such constructions, resort is made to a series of small incandescent lights which are embedded directly in the lighttransmitting panel, with the result that during nighttime operation only the instruments themselves are illuminated, and not the panel, the light traveling through the lightconducting lamina comprising the panel, whereby all stray lighting is eliminated. Devices of this type are generally known in the art, and the invention lies in the provision of an improved encapsulating element for an existing incandescent lamp manufactured to military specification, together with an improved means for mounting said encapsulated lamp in the light-transmitting lamina of an instrument panel.

In the present state of the art, a wide number of devices have been designed and manufactured for the sole purpose of accommodating the above-mentioned incandescent lamp, with a View toward simple installation, adequate protection of the bulb, and simplified replacement when necessary. Some of these devices do not completely enclose the bulb, whereby it is subject to breakage, and others, although enclosing the bulb, do not offer adequate protection to the same. Still other constructions are difficult to install and remove when replacement becomes necessary, and, although cost is not a primary factor, many of the prior art devices have been unreasonably complicated to manufacture, with resulting unreasonably high cost of manufacture.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved lamp-supporting housing and/or encapsulating device in which the abovementioned disadvantages have been substantially eliminated.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved encapsulated lamp construction in which the light-transmission characteristics may be unusually high as contrasted with prior art devices.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved encapsulated lamp device of the class described in which both initial installation and subsequent removal for replacement may be conveniently performed with a minimum of time and effort expended.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved encapsulated lamp device in which the cost of fabrication may be of a reasonably low order, as contrasted with prior art devices, with consequent wide sale, distribution and use.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved encapsulate-d lamp having mounting means which may be permanently installed in an instrument panel, the mounting means permitting convenient attachment and removal of the encapsulated lamp construction as required.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a simplified means for manufacturing a device possessed of the above advantages.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that resort is made to high temperature thermosetting resins in the fabrication of the inventive structure, ideally suited to the use of dyed-in-the-mass color techniques, without resort to separate light filters for coloring transmitted light.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

' FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation showing a first stage in the manufacture of an embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a second stage of fabrication.

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation showing a third stage in the method of fabrication.

FIGURE 4 is a view in elevation showing a fourth and final stage of fabrication.

FIGURE 5 is a view in elevation of a completed embodiment.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view showing preparation of a standard self-contained instrument panel for reception of a completed embodiment.

FIGURE 7 is a similar sectional view showing the'em bodiment in installed condition.

FIGURE 8 is a view in elevation of a sleeve element employed in mounting the disclosed embodiment.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character It), comprises broadly: a lamp element II, a lamp capsule element 12, and an optionally employed sleeve element 13.

The lamp element 11 may be of a standard well-known type conforming to required military specifications, and including a glass envelope 15 containing a filament (not shown), and having first and second electrical leads 16 and I7. Interconnected at the free ends of the leads 16 and 17 are electrical contact rings 18 and 19, respectively, which are secured to the leads 16 and 17 by soldering, welding, or other suitable interconnection.

The lamp capsule element 12 is preferably formed from thermosetting translucent or transparent synthetic resinous material, and, as best seen in FIGURES 3 and 5, the element 12 includes a flange member 21 bounded by a pcripheral surface 22, a lower surface 23, and an upper surface 24. Through openings 25 and 26 extend between the surfaces 23 and 24, and, as best seen in FIGURE 2, segments 27 and 28 of the leads 16 and 17 respectively, are encapsulated within the flange 21 upon the formation thereof, as will more fully appear hereinafter. EX- tending outwardly from the lower surface 23 is a lampenclosing portion 30 bounded by side walls 31 and 32, and end walls 33 and 34, as Well as a top wall 35; the walls 31-35, inclusive, defining an oblong recess 36 in which the lamp element ll is positioned.

Owing to the high molding pressures involved, it is not possible to encapsulate the lamp element 11 within the element 12 as a single molding operation, principally because of the difiiculty encountered in positioning the lamp element within the portion 30, and supporting the same as synthetic resinous material is injected around the lamp element. The device is therefore formed as a two-stage molding operation.

With reference to FIGURE 1, there may be observed a jig or fixture 38 which supports the leads 16 and 17 during the soldering or welding operation which interconnects small segments 39 and 40 thereof with the contact rings 18 and 19, respectively. Where the leads 16 and 17 and rings 18 and 19 are manually supported during the interconnecting operation, the jig or fixture 38 may be dispensed with.

Referring to FIGURE 2, there is shown a molding die of the element 12, the contacts rings 18 and 19 as Well as the segments 27 and 28 are enclosed within the synthetic resinous material comprising the element 12, the remaining portions of the leads 16 and 17 and the'envelope 15 being supported clear of the molding operation. It will be observed that the molding operation is such that the inner peripheral edges of the rings 18 and 19 are exposed, to permit the forming of an electrical contact therewith when the device is ultimately installed. The molding operation forms a riser 46 which is subsequently removed at a later stage in fabrication.

With reference to FIGURE 3,'the envelope 15 and remaining portions of the leads 16 and 17 are positioned within the formed recess 36, following which the recess is completely filled by a transparent high-temperature epoxy resin 48 injected into the recess after the positioning as shown. This resin, upon setting, completely fills the recess 36, so that, during subsequent finishingoperations shown in FIGURE 4, the upper surface 50 and lower surface 51 may be polished to a high finish to provide a complete device 10.

While it is possible to machine portions of a light-transmitting instrument panel to the exact configuration of the device 14),in mass production it will be preferable to merely inlet the panel using a drill to forma cylindricallyshaped recess into which a press-fitted sleeve element 13 may be positioned, the sleeve element 13 in turn forming a means for accommodating the device 10 by threaded inter connection. With reference to FIGURE 6 in the drawing, there may be seen a synthetic resinous light-transmitting lamina 53 forming a part of an instrument panel (not shown), the lamina 53 including an inner surface 54 and an outer surface 55. A cylindrical recess 56 is formed at a desired location, the recess being bounded by a cylindrical side wall 57 and a bottom Wall 58 which lies paral-v lel to the outer surface 55. The sleeve element 13 is preferably formed as a molding operation, and includes an outer cylindrical surface 60, an upper planar surface 61, a lower planar surface 62. The diameter of the surface 60 corresponds directly to that of the peripheral surface '22, and corresponding tothe openings 25 and 26 there are provided a pair of tapped bores 63 and 64 adjacent an oblong recess 65 which corresponds in configuration to the lamp-enclosing portion 30. As seen in FIGURE 6, the sleeve element 13 is press-fitted within the recess 56 to a depth providing a clear area corresponding to the thickness of the flange member 21. Following this, the device 10 is installed using mounting screws 66 and 6'7, as seen in FIGURE 7, which permit removal of the device for replacement bymerely removing said screws.

Electrical connections to the device may be provided to suit the requirements of a particular installation. Wires (not shown) may be embedded within the lamina 53 prior to installation of the device 10, or, as is well-known in the art, printed circuitry may be provided having means overlying the heads of the screws 66 and 67.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

1. An improved lamp construction for instrument panels comprising; a lamp element, a lamp capsule ele ment, said lamp capsule element including a generally planar flange member having a through opening, and a lamp enclosing portion integral with said flange member, said lamp element being located within said lamp enclosing portion, and maintained therein by transparent epoxy resin injected into the enclosure after the locating thereof completely encapsulating the lamp element, the lamp element including an envelope, and at least one lead extending therefrom enclosed Within said lamp capsule element, said lead communicating with said opening.

2. Instrument panel construction comprising: a generally planar light-transmitting lamina, said lamina having a cylindrical recess therein and an outer surface; a sleeve element permanently secured Within said recess, said sleeve having a pair of axially aligned threaded bores therein; said recess being located on said outer surface of said lamina, a lamp capsule element, a lamp element encapsulated'by transparent epoxy resin within said lamp capsule element, said lamp capsule element having a cylindrical flange thereon and having a pair of through openvings corresponding to said threaded bores; threaded iii means symmetrically interconnecting said sleeve element and said lamp capsule element within said recess, thereby allowing rapid and simple interchangeability of said lamp capsule element containing said lamp element for said recess Within the front of said panel.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

2. INSTRUMENT PANEL CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING: A GENERALLY PLANAR LIGHT-TRANSMITTING LAMINA, SAID LAMINA HAVING A CYLINDRICAL RECESS THEREIN AND AN OUTER SURFACE; A SLEEVE ELEMENT PERMANENTLY SECURED WITHIN SAID RECESS, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PAIR OF AXIALLY ALIGNED THREADED BORES THEREIN; SAID RECESS BEING LOCATED ON SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LAMINA, A LAMP CAPSULE ELEMENT, A LAMP ELEMENT ENCAPSULATED BY TRANSPARENT EPOXY RESIN WITHIN SAID LAMP CAPSULE ELEMENT, SAID LAMP CAPSULE ELEMENT HAVING A CYLINDRICAL FLANGE THEREON AND HAVING A PAIR OF THROUGH OPENINGS CORRESPONDING TO SAID THREADED BORES; THREADED MEANS SYMMETRICALLY INTERCONNECTING SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT AND SAID LAMP CAPSULE ELEMENT WITHIN SAID RECESS, THEREBY ALLOWING RAPID AND SIMPLE INTERCHANGEABILITY OF SAID LAMP CAPSULE ELEMENT CONTAINING SAID LAMP ELEMENT FOR SAID RECESS WITHIN THE FRONT OF SAID PANEL. 